Engine spark timer

ABSTRACT

This invention pertains to means for obtaining partial engine developed intake suction operated spark advance, and therefore a partial suction operated spark advance, during decelerations at engine idle throttle positions above a predetermined engine speed, as compared to full intake manifold suction spark advance as used in some engines today, for reduced exhaust emissions while sensing engine decelerations above said selected engine speed by the increase in intake suction above idle engine suction or cruising intake suction and reducing said intake suction acting on the suction operated spark advance motor to reduce the suction operated spark advance by a suction regulator put into the circuit to said suction operated spark advance motor when decelerating above a selected engine speed as sensed by said intake suction sensor.

United States Patent Walker 1 Sept. 5, 1972 [54] ENGINE SPARK TIMERPrimary Examiner-Laurence M. Goodridge [72] Inventor: Brooks Walker,1280 Columbus Attorney-Everett Clements I Ave., San Francisco, Calif.94133 I ABSTRACT [22] Flled' May 1969 This invention pertains to meansfor obtaining partial [21] Appl. No.: 827,505 engine developed intakesuction operated spark advance, and therefore a partial suction operatedspark Rehted Apphcahon advance, during decelerations at engine idlethrottle [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 672,818, on. Positionsabove a predetermined engine speed, as 4, 7 compared to full intakemanifold suction spark advance as used in some engines today, forreduced ex- 52] U.S.Cl ..123/117 A, 123/97 B halls! emissions whileSensing engine decelerations 51 Im. on. ..F02p 5/04 Said selected enginesPeed by the increase in 58 Field of Search ..123/97 B 117.1 sucfim abveidle engine swim cruising take suction and reducing said intake suctionacting [56] References Cited on the suction operated spark advance motorto reduce the suction operated spark advance by a suc- UNITED STATESPATENTS tion regulator put into the circuit to said suction operatedspark advance motor when decelerating 2 2 2 above a selected enginespeed as sensed by said intake u ti I 3,329,136 7/1967 Cadiou..123/117.1 Sue Sensor 3 Claims, 1 Drawing 7 v 4 48 ADVANCE 4e 23 s. usv32 270 g I l 27 I 18b I 13 2| 2O 1 ,l7 l6 5 I8 30 If PATENTEDSEP 5 I972ADVANCE INVENTOR BROOKS WALKER ATTORNEY ENGINE SPARK TIMER Thisapplication is a continuation in-part of my application Ser. No.672,818, filed Oct. 4, 1967.

An object of this invention is to use a simple deceleration sensor of anabove idle or cruise intake suction-type, to sense a deceleration abovea selected engine speed and to connect a suction regulator between theintake manifold and the suction operated spark advance mechanism tothereby obtain a limited suction operated spark advance duringdeceleration above a selected engine speed as a means for obtaining aless than full suction operated spark advance during such decelerationsto produce lower exhaust emissions than if full suction operated sparkadvance were used during such decelerations as is common on some reducedsmog producing engines today.

Another object is the use of a simple suction regulator that can beadjusted for any suction from near full intake manifold suction to agreatly reduced suction from intake suction in order to regulate theaction of the suction operated spark advance mechanism during someengine operating cycles such as decelerations above a selected enginespeed to control the amount of intake manifold limited suction activatedspark advance during some engine operations, such as closed or engineidle throttle position and decelerations above a selected engine speed,in order to reduce the smog producing exhaust emissions as compared tosuch exhaust emissions if said limited suction operated spark advancehad been full intake suction advance.

Other objects of the invention will be more particularly pointed out inthe accompanying specification and claims.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawing in which Ihave shown one form of the invention partly in elevation and partlyschematic.

In this drawing I have shown:

An internal combustion engine with an intake manifold 11, a carburetor12, a throttle valve 13, a high spark advance port just above the highedge of butterfly 13 on down shaft carburetor 12 is connected to tube 16which is connected to high suction sensing Q from port 15 in carburetor12 to motor M is closed by motor and valve l-lSV at port 17. Plunger 18has ring recess 18a. Port 20 is connected by tube 21, and tube 22 tosuction operated spark advance motor M. Spring S in motor valve HSV isregulated by screw 23 to hold up plunger 18 and the center of diaphragm25 and valve 18b. Upper housing 26 supports spring S and clampsdiaphragm 25 to lower housing 27 by suitable means. Port 270 vents theupper side of diaphragm 25 to atmosphere. Spring S pressure upon stem 18and valve 18b to hold valve 18b on seat 26a with such force that ittakes a suction above idle or cruise to suck diaphragm 25 down to openvalve 18b below seat 260 at about 21" Hg or a higher suction, as shown.Such a suction exists at closed throttle decelerations above a selectedengine speed and valve 18b is open below seat 26a so suction from intakemanifold 11 flows through tube 30, past seat 26a, to tube 31 intosuction regulator R. Suction regulator R can regulate the suctionpassing through it to anything from manifold 11 suction to a suctioninsufficient to operate spark advance motor M. Line 32 and line 22connect regulator R to motor M, as shown. When such deceleration suctionis effective, there being very little suction at port 15 which is cutoff from the suction in manifold 11 by throttle 13, the path plunger 18lowering recess 18a below ports 17 and 20 to provide cut off betweenlines 16 and 21, so that suction flows from line 30-past seat 26a, valve18a, line 31, through regulator R which reduces intake suction and on tomotor M .by lines 32 and 22. This gives limited suction operated sparkadvance by motor M, arm 35 and breaker plate 36 of the spark distributorD during such closed throttle decelerations.

The suction regulator comprises a housing 42 having a dividing diaphragm44 secured therein to form chambers 46 and 48. A needle valve 50 iscarried by the diaphragm for cooperation with a valve seat 52 formed inthe housing. A spring 54 in chamber 48 urges the diaphragm toward theleft as viewed in the drawing to open the valve passage 56 for the flowof fluid between conduits 31 and 32. A spring 58 in chamber 46 urges thediaphragm toward the right to close the valve passage by the seating ofvalve 50 on seat 52. The spring 58 is adjusted by a screw 60 to providethe proper bias to counteract the force of spring 54 to regulate thesuction for controlling the passage 56 to flow of fluid. Spring 54 holdsvalve 50 open until suction and spring 58 closes the valve 50 againstits seat.

Other devices use a high suction sensor valve similar to I-ISV but turnfull engine manifold suction into the spark advance motor on suchdecelerations for full stroke suction spark advance, whereas thisinvention allows any portion of the suction operated spark advancestroke to be used for best exhaust emissions control duringdecelerations.

I have illustrated my inventions in these various forms, however, manyother variations may be possible within the scope of this invention.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates many changesin construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of theinvention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. The disclosures and description herein arepurely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim; I

1. A spark advance mechanism for an internal combustion engine, anintake manifold including a carburetor, a spark advance port in saidcarburetor, a suction operated spark adva i ce motor, a first suctioncircuit connecting the port to the spark advance motor, a high suctionsensing valve 'for sensing the intake manifold suction, said valve beingresponsive to suction in the intake manifold above a predeterminedamount for switching said spark advance motor from the first circuit toa second circuit including a suction regulator for regulating thesuction applied to the motor, and includ- I ing means to limit the sparkadvance to a preselected spark advance motor said suction regulatorincluding means for limiting the suction applied to the motor to apreselected maximum, further including a carburetor, a spark advanceoperating port in said carburetor, conduit means connecting said port tothe spark advance motor, a third valve connected to said sensor and insaid conduit means for conjoint operation with said first valve, saidthird valve opening said conduit means to permit flow of fluid from saidport to said advance motor on cruises and power operation of saidinternal combustion engine while said first valve is closed.

3. A spark timing control for an internal combustion engine, an intakemanifold, a carburetor, a throttle for said carburetor, a suctionoperated spark advance motor, a port in the wall of the carburetorupstream of said throttle valve when said throttle valve is in theengine idle position, a conduit connecting the port to said sparkadvance motor, a control valve in said conduit, and means for closingthe valve in said conduit upon a predetermined suction in said intakemanifold to prevent fluid flow in the conduit from said port to saidmotor and means for opening said valve in said conduit in response to alesser suction in the manifold to allow fluid flow in the conduit,conduit means connecting the intake manifold and motor, a suctionregulator in said conduit means for reducing the manifold suction to aselectable level for application to the motor, and means for supplyingmanifold pressure to the regulator when the control valve is closed foradvancing the spark a predetennined limited amount.

I I! l l

1. A spark advance mechanism for an internal combustion engine, anintake manifold including a carburetor, a spark advance port in saidcarburetor, a suction operated spark advance motor, a first suctioncircuit connecting the port to the spark advance motor, a high suctionsensing valve for sensing the intake manifold suction, said valve beingresponsive to suction in the intake manifold above a predeterminedamount for switching said spark advance motor from the first circuit toa second circuit including a suction regulator for regulating thesuction applied to the motor, and including means to limit the sparkadvance to a preselected amount.
 2. A spark advance for an internalcombustion engine in which there is an intake manifold, a first valve, asuction operated spark advance motor, an intake manifold suctionregulator second valve, an intake manifold suction sensor for renderingsaid first valve operative, in response to intake manifold suction aboveengine cruise and engine idle suctions, to connect said second valve inseries with said intake manifold and said spark Advance motor to obtaina less than full intake suction spark advance by said suction operatedspark advance motor said suction regulator including means for limitingthe suction applied to the motor to a preselected maximum, furtherincluding a carburetor, a spark advance operating port in saidcarburetor, conduit means connecting said port to the spark advancemotor, a third valve connected to said sensor and in said conduit meansfor conjoint operation with said first valve, said third valve openingsaid conduit means to permit flow of fluid from said port to saidadvance motor on cruises and power operation of said internal combustionengine while said first valve is closed.
 3. A spark timing control foran internal combustion engine, an intake manifold, a carburetor, athrottle for said carburetor, a suction operated spark advance motor, aport in the wall of the carburetor upstream of said throttle valve whensaid throttle valve is in the engine idle position, a conduit connectingthe port to said spark advance motor, a control valve in said conduit,and means for closing the valve in said conduit upon a predeterminedsuction in said intake manifold to prevent fluid flow in the conduitfrom said port to said motor and means for opening said valve in saidconduit in response to a lesser suction in the manifold to allow fluidflow in the conduit, conduit means connecting the intake manifold andmotor, a suction regulator in said conduit means for reducing themanifold suction to a selectable level for application to the motor, andmeans for supplying manifold pressure to the regulator when the controlvalve is closed for advancing the spark a predetermined limited amount.